


On the Side of the Angels

by thebasement_archivist



Category: The X-Files
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-12-31
Updated: 2001-12-31
Packaged: 2018-11-20 10:29:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11333934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebasement_archivist/pseuds/thebasement_archivist
Summary: Krycek is working for the good guys.





	On the Side of the Angels

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Basement](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Basement), which moved to the AO3 to ensure the stories are always available and so that authors may have complete control of their own works. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Basement's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thebasement/profile).

 

On the side of the angels by Laurel

Title: On the side of the angels Part 1/4  
Author: Laurel  
E-mail:   
Date: Finished December 2001 (procrastinators would be proud to know when it was started!)  
Archive: yes to DitB anyone else please ask first  
Pairing: Sk/K/M (eventually)  
Summary: Krycek is working for the good guys.  
Rating: PG-13 for violence, some language  
Spoilers: Up to Patient X and the Red and the Black (only some elements are taken from those two episodes)  
Notes: lyrics from Jane Siberry's "Calling all angels" from "When I was a boy".

* * *

*Calling all angels  
Calling all angels  
Walk me through this one  
Don't leave me alone  
Callin' all angels  
Callin' all angels  
We're tryin'  
We're hopin'  
We're hurtin'  
We're lovin'  
We're cryin'  
We're callin'  
'Cuz we're not sure how this goes*

Kyrcek slid the disc across the sticky diner table. Mulder regarded it with suspicion. Walter's hand twitched on his thigh. His trigger finger longed to blow away the rat. Alex sighed.

"It's the real thing, Fox."

"Don't call me that," Mulder said sharply.

"Whatever," Alex mumbled. "Walter?" He looked questioningly at Mulder's boss and lover.

Skinner regarded him with disdain. His eyes flickered, dark and unreadable.

"Just have your freak hacker friends look at it."

"What exactly is it?"

"It's the location of the rebel aliens. There are several of them being held, awaiting execution. Cancer man's deals are falling down faster than his orthopedic socks. You need to move fast."

"You're sure?"

"You want to be slaves to the alien force?"

Mulder slipped the disc inside his jacket. "Anything else?" he asked coldly.

"No," Alex answered resignedly.

"Then what are you still doing here?"

Alex looked startled and hurt for a brief moment, before his face became a hard, white mask again. Mulder's eyes grew stormy gray. Usually they were a warm hazel and if he smiled on rare occasion, the skin around his eyes would crinkle. Alex would give anything to see that.

"I'm going," he muttered, sliding out of the booth.

Walter's eyes tracked him until he left the diner. A thin sleet fell and he watched as Krycek pulled up the collar of his leather jacket. He was a stark figure as he passed the darkened windows.

For one moment, Walter had seen the mask drop, the smirk disappear, the dangerous feral eyes widen with hurt. His heart had ached just a little, a twinge, like a side stitch he might get during an early morning run beside Fox. The look had returned just as quickly. The mask was back in place-smooth pale skin like alabaster, deep green eyes, as depthless as the ocean, that fringe of lashes that closed like curtains, hiding his secrets.

Walter found himself wondering just for a moment what his life would have been like if Alex had been the man in his life, before he'd turned traitor. What would life have been like for Alex if someone like Walter had cared for him, giving him a second chance?

************************************************************

The next meeting took place in a noisy bar. Walter ordered a scotch, Mulder a light beer. They waited in growing frustration for Krycek

He was twenty minutes late when he limped in. He looked right and left, not nervously, but with the air of someone who is always ready for an attack.

He sat on a stool and ordered vodka. "Stoli, please," he asked the bartender.

"Well?" Walter asked angrily.

Alex turned his dark eyes on them. "So I'm late," he spit out. "I was a little busy."

"What is it this time?" Mulder asked.

"At least let me have my drink first."

He drank it neatly in one swallow and promptly ordered another.

"Come on, Krycek, we don't have all day."

"I have another disc for you."

"What's on it?" Mulder asked.

"Give you three guesses."

"I don't have time for games," Walter snarled.

"Here." Alex held it out to his former boss. "It was given to me by Marita. It's the location of the abduction sites. The bounty hunters are going to be waiting to take them back to the ships."

"What are they going to do with them?"

"Who knows?"

"What can we do to stop them?"

"The disc contains a list of abductees. You have to warn them."

"How are they going to lure them to the ships?" Walter asked, frowning.

"By using the implant devices, by force if need be."

"How do we stop them?"

"There's a cache of weapons you can use against the bounty hunters. The spikes. It's all in the disc."

"Where did Marita get this information?"

"She's working with us. She probably got it from the rebels. She handed it over to me. I haven't seen her since," Alex said quietly He drained the second vodka and stood up. "Good luck."

Walter and Mulder watched silently as Krycek walked away. His graceful body belied his strength. Both men admired the view and the feline posture.

Walter sighed heavily. "Come on, let's go home and pop this in the computer."

"Want to grab some dinner first?"

"Let's just order in."

"Chinese okay?"

"Sure. Besides, arguing with you over your food choices would be hopeless."

"True."

Mulder left a tip on the counter, along with his half finished beer.

This disc wasn't as heavily encoded, so the gunmen's services weren't needed. Fox leaned back in Walter's embrace as they read the information contained inside it.

Walter planted a kiss on his lover's cheek and rubbed his head against him in a comforting gesture. Fox remembered another kiss like that, remembered a dark night in his apartment and Alex's hard body slamming against him.

It was the beginning of Alex's uneasy collaboration with him and Walter. An odd clue or hastily written note in his mailbox, a file that mysteriously appeared in his messy desk drawer and now this.

This was more dangerous, meeting in the open, albeit in out of the way locales that none of them would frequent. It was no surprise that Marita was part of the resistance, but Alex, now there was a surprise. Fox wondered what was in it for him. Perhaps it was just as he'd said: a fight for survival in the most dangerous war of all.

************************************************************

Alex was cold and miserable. Washington was still in the grip of winter, although spring was supposedly on the way. There was no snow on the ground, but the air was damp, the rain was almost sleet, the tiny needles of moisture pricking his skin. Alex turned up the collar of his jacket. The sweater and tee shirt he wore underneath didn't help much against the cold. He wiggled his toes and stamped his feet on the sidewalk.

He thought about Marita, wondering what had become of her. //Please don't tell me she went back to Spender. I'll kill her myself if she betrays me again. Not like it would be the first time. Christ I hope I don't get frostbite. Or pneumonia. Damn those two for arranging a meeting outside in this miserable fucking weather.//

The guy behind the newsstand eyed him warily until Alex broke down and bought a paper. He took a swallow of his coffee, grateful for the liquid heat burning down his chest to his belly.

"It's about time," he growled, as the agents approached.

"We got caught in traffic," Walter explained testily.

"Why did we have to meet here? It's freezing outside."

"We wanted to make sure we weren't followed. You too."

"You're being tailed by someone?"

Their breaths formed puffs of smoke in the air.

"Yeah, we think so. There's no place for someone to hide out here."

Alex looked around. The sidewalk was empty, few cars passed by, the store fronts were closed up, there were no doorways to linger in and no apartment building lobbies to house a spy.

"Okay, let's make this quick."

"What happened to you?" Mulder asked.

He pointed at Alex's face. It was bruised and thin. Mulder looked him over carefully. The bulk of his clothes couldn't hide the fact that he'd lost weight. He no longer limped but he held his left arm gingerly, rubbing the shoulder gently at times.

"Nothing," he muttered. "I had a little trouble getting this." He held up several discs.

"What's on these?"

Alex hesitated a moment.

"The holy grail."

Walter and Mulder exchanged glances. They waited patiently for an explanation.

"Everything you need to bring the conspiracy to its knees. The alien colonization will be a bad dream."

"The information on the last disc was invaluable."

"So I heard."

'The abductees are all safe. Scully's studying a way to safely remove the implants from the victims. The information you gave us regarding that was incomplete."

"Sorry about that. That's all I had."

"Where did the information come from?"

Alex ignored the question. "Did you see the ship leave?"

"Yeah, they left without their cargo."

"And without several of their own," Walter added.

"Good. Scully should have a look at this one. It's mostly scientific data. There's a vaccine the Russians developed. It stops the oil in its tracks. There's some other stuff in there too."

"Such as?"

Krycek's gaze slid across their faces and swept over their surroundings.

"There's a foolproof way to identify the shape-shifters for one thing. There's a hell of a lot more in there than that though."

He regarded Walter and tilted his head, a curious smile on his face.

"Some of your so-called friends are involved in this conspiracy. It's far-reaching. I'm not just talking about military or CIA. I have evidence in there of corrupt actions undertaken by upstanding and moral fibbies. People higher up than you Skinner. You'll find the third disc very useful and highly surprising. Quite a few political figures too. So many people in fact that my work will be a breeze."

"What do you mean?" Mulder asked.

"I won't have as many people to eliminate. The majority of them will just kill themselves or be killed before they can be brought to so-called justice. Just do me a favor and let me disappear."

"You give us evidence of monumental proportions and just expect us to say so long chum?" Skinner asked incredulously.

Mulder took the disc from him and promptly put it away.

"I'll keep in touch."

"Wait, Krycek."

"What?"

"You can't just leave."

"Watch me."

Alex walked away, curling his good hand into his pocket to warm it up. His steps were brisk, both to warm up his chilled flesh and to get away from Walter and Mulder. Their scorn was bad enough to handle but the knowledge of their newfound domesticity made him ache.

He made his way back to his motel room, ready to fall on the bed and into a deep dreamless sleep. Tomorrow would be a busy day and he needed to rest. After this he was going to take a vacation that would last a lifetime.

************************************************************

The glare of the computer screen bathed Walter and Mulder in its cool blue light.

"Would you look at that?" Mulder muttered. "Scully?"

Scully pushed her glasses back up and leaned past Mulder and Skinner.

"Oh my god."

She studied the information in front of her. There was scientific data, formulae, a revolving spiral of DNA that showed the effects of the vaccine which was the formula's final product. There was the final outcome of the experimental trials, all successful.

"Do you realize what this means?"

"A way to fight off the aliens," Walter completed the thought.

"Where on earth did he get this?" Scully asked.

"Wrong planet, Scully."

They spent the rest of the night studying the complicated equations. Mulder stared at the computer for so long all he could see when he closed his eyes was that slowly spiraling DNA strand.

There was another simple formula as well. Something that would react to the shape shifters' unique blood. Mulder couldn't take his eyes away from the image of the compound reacting to their green blood in laboratory experiments. It was like something he had read about Ebola virus. They tested for various strains by placing suspect blood next to the known viral blood and it would react, glowing a bright green. How ironic.

He greedily read the incriminating evidence that was contained on the third and fourth discs. Krycek was right. The information was explosive.

************************************************************

Mulder and Skinner took out their service revolvers. Their senses were on full alert. The hail of gunfire had rattled throughout the building, one of the last remaining consortium labs. There was an explosion that rocked the pristine white walls. That sound was followed by screams.

They searched the entire area, finding several doctors, their assistants and guards, all dead. Some from the explosion, some from gun shot wounds. The test subjects were all unconscious, still in the grip of the alien oil's effects.

They found Scully in the clinic preparing to inject the subjects with the vaccine and left her to her work once they swept the area and found no one left alive including several oozing puddles that had once been shape-shifting aliens. They knew Krycek was behind this latest massacre.

They found him in a far corner of the warehouse, where the alien ship had docked.

The ship had already left. Walter still shook his head at the close-up view of the alien craft.

The coppery scent of blood was detectable in the heavy odor of motor oil and frosty air. Boxes and debris littered the place.

Mulder stopped a few feet away from the slumped figure. He called for Scully while keeping his distance from Krycek. Walter knelt down by Krycek and tried to assess his condition. He was sitting against the wall, leaning to one side. His breath was shallow, little puffs of air visible in the cold.

His eyes were dazed. Sweat beaded his pale face. Walter frowned, pushing the leather jacket aside. Blood soaked his dark shirt, the smell sending Walter back to Vietnam.

He unbuttoned the shirt and peeled it away. It was sticky with blood. His chest was waxy and pale where the blood didn't cover it. Walter shrugged off his trench coat and wrapped it around the barely conscious man. His green eyes blinked slowly at Walter like a sleepy cat.

Walter took off his shirt, kneeling in the frigid air with only his tee shirt on. He pressed it against the bullet would, eliciting a soft gasp of pain. It was the first sound his former agent had made, since the screams amid the hail of gunfire just moments earlier.

Behind him he could hear Mulder giving orders into his cell phone: Scully, ambulance and back-up.

He pressed the white shirt firmly against Krycek's chest, watching the frown above his nose deepen with increased pain. His breathing was barely audible now. Walter ran the possible damage through his head-collapsed lung, hole in the heart, nick in the artery. Krycek's green eyes held his and Walter sat beside him wrapping his coat closer, while his hand pressed on his chest. Alex slumped into his embrace and closed his eyes.

* * *

Title: On the side of the angels Part 2/4  
Author: Laurel  
E-mail:   
Date: Finished December 2001 (procrastinators anonymous has been ringing my phone off the hook)  
Archive: Yes to DitB, anyone else just ask first  
Pairing: Sk/K/M (eventually)  
Summary: Walter and Mulder bring home a recovering Alex.  
Rating: PG  
Spoilers: Up to the Red and the Black and part one of the story.  
Notes: Lyrics from Jane Siberry's "An angel stepped down (and slowly looked around)" from "When I was a boy."

* * *

*An angel: Is there something that you haven't said?*

The man they helped climb the stairs to their home was weak and silent. It was not the Krycek they knew. It was not the Krycek that they hated or were fascinated by. He was defeated, letting them take his arms, one real, one fake, to make it up the wide steps.

After nearly one month in hospital, Alex was well enough to leave. He was not however capable of taking care of himself. Mulder didn't much care for his lover's suggestion that they take Alex home and take care of him until he recovered enough to live on his own. They owed him, though, big time. Mulder obliged Walter's wish and so here they were.

Alex gave him a half-hearted smile of thanks before the perennially sad expression returned to his face. Mulder more than anyone wasn't used to seeing this side of Krycek. He'd seen him angry, scared, hurt but always proud, always arrogant, always undefeated even when he had used up his proverbial nine lives. This Alex was docile, harmless, hell even depressed. It was not a nice change.

They installed Alex into the guest room, which was thankfully on the ground floor. The new home they'd barely broken in was a welcome change for Mulder from the dusty apartment he'd existed in. It wasn't until he'd fallen for Walter and made a commitment that Walter had insisted on a real house. Damn the consequences, too. He loved that about Walter. He didn't give a damn what people thought of him. He didn't mince words either.

Alex sat on the bed wearily. He didn't seem to even take in his new surroundings. Mulder was mildly offended. Krycek could at least comment on the decor. It was a nice little room with its own bathroom. It was cozy as a cottage. Just as nicely decorated too, with cheerful yellow curtains covering the small window and a matching wallpaper border. The quilt was a tranquil blue, something that he'd dug up from his parents' belongings. The bathroom may have been small, with a shower stall tucked in almost as an after thought, but it was color coordinated with silver racks to hold towels and white accessories embossed with pink roses.

Alex half-heartedly began to unpack. Mulder quickly gave him a hand. He didn't want him to tire out. Alex gave him a dirty look but didn't protest. A fluffy ball of fur zipped into the room. Alex raised his eyebrows.

"That's Miss Kitty," Mulder replied a little sheepishly.

The cat investigated Alex and his belongings thoroughly.

"What happened to your fish? Did she have them for dinner?"

Mulder snorted. "No I got rid of them. They were dying all the time anyway."

"It helps if you feed them."

"Hmmph. Let's finish unpacking."

He didn't have much with him, just a few clothes (mostly black of course) and toiletries plus some books and CD's. Mulder studied the tastes in reading material and music of the ex-consortium spy. There were a couple of battered paperbacks by noir writer Jim Thompson and a book of poetry in Russian by Anna Ahkmatova. He didn't have time to study all the titles as he ignored Alex's glare. His taste in music was eclectic too. There was everything from the Beatles to the Violent Femmes.

He left Alex lying on the bed for some well needed rest and closed the door behind him.

************************************************************

In the time that Alex was in the ICU and under heavy guard, Walter and Mulder had been busy. The evidence Alex had obtained led to arrest warrants being issued for dozens of people. Walter put a task force together quickly, hand picking a team of top-notch people he could trust.

It was an exhaustive case both mentally and physically. What was left of Spender and his cronies was identified by DNA evidence. It seemed that Alex had been very busy destroying whatever remained of the conspiracy. There were some men who were above the law. Many found out they were not.

They visited Marita who was recuperating in a private clinic from money Alex had secreted from the consortium and placed into an account he had used for the resistance. Scully assured Alex that his former partner would recover one hundred percent from the injuries she'd suffered in an ambush attack by the now retreating shape shifters.

Alex found solace from the fact that the conspiracy was exposed, secretly pleased that he had been a big part of the resistance and ashamed for all the rotten things he'd done. He was glad that Marita would recover. He wished the alien rebels good luck in the future and silently thanked them for all their help. He cursed the old men to hell. As Walter and Mulder left his room after a brief visit he wished that the doctors had failed in their attempt to save him. Nothing hurt worse than seeing the two men he wanted more than anyone in the world to walk out together, leaving him behind.

************************************************************

Having Alex live with them wasn't as big an ordeal as Mulder had dreaded. They quickly adapted to each other's moods and routines.

Alex wasn't a picky eater but he didn't have much of an appetite either, which worried Walter. He was polite and quiet most of the time and only half-heartedly rose to the occasion when Mulder would try to bait him with derogatory words or try to start an argument like they were rivals on a debate team. Mulder would retreat from his verbal fights, giving Alex respite. He just didn't react the way Mulder wanted.

The man was weak as a kitten, still recovering physically from a traumatic ordeal. Not only because of the gunshot wound but also from invasive surgery. It didn't bode well that he kept to himself so much, no matter how much of a loner he may have been before. Some days he would hole up in his room for hours, napping, reading and listening to music. Mulder left him alone much of the time, although he was curious about Krycek's experiences with aliens, not to mention the inner workings of the now defunct consortium. Mulder knew he had to encourage Krycek to come out of his depressed shell and talk in order to begin the emotional healing process.

Alex's sadness stemmed from many things, Mulder theorized. Mostly because he was helpless. It was a stunning realization for Mulder. He could certainly understand it though. Alex was not a man who would voluntarily ask for help. Now he had no choice. He was someone who adapted to his circumstances, whether he was a mole in the F.B.I. or on the run from his some time boss.

Walter would make tea and Mulder would force rich, buttery cookies his way to help him regain the weight he'd lost in the hospital. He would listen with fascination to Alex's stories. For once the rat was truthful. There was no lying, no stories, no excuses. There was only the naked truth whether he liked it or not. More often the latter.

Although a weight seemed to lift off his shoulders when he finally told them the story of his life with the old men, the missions, the possession by the alien oil, the nights spent alone in dingy motel rooms, on the run from a man who wanted him dead but who also needed him, Alex still seemed to be haunted by bad memories.

The nightmares were a regular recurrence. It sent chills up their spines hearing him terrified, screaming and pleading. Sometimes he spoke in Russian or other languages that Mulder couldn't decipher. One or the other would go to rouse him from sleep. He would clutch his chest, gasping painfully. More often than not he was crying. Silently, he would wipe his tears away, take the glass of water and tissue that his hosts would offer and mutter a thank you.

Mulder thought it best to coax Alex to reveal his nightmares, that it would bring his horrors out into the light and they would be chased away in the harmless day. That was about as impossible as getting a mule to move.

Eventually Alex began to talk about his dreams with much prodding. His past haunted him into the night and he dreamt frequently about Spender, even though he was certainly dead, ignoring his shouts and banging on the door of the silo. He was haunted by Spender's crooked smile and cold eyes. He was fearful of the Brit's threats to send him back to Russia where certain death awaited him. The feel of a dozen hands holding him down as his arm was cruelly and brutally sliced away was the worst by far. Needles of pain would accompany those nightmares and no amount of rubbing would still the dancing nerves. Silently Walter would offer him a shot or two of Vodka that neither he nor Mulder drank. The alcohol helped his phantom pain just a little. Mulder shuddered involuntarily and looked at Alex with new sympathy.

There were dreams of car bombs and shootings, black alleyways that led to hell and burned bodies that would never see the black hole of space ready to swallow them up.

The beatings and tongue lashings by Mulder in the past made him shy of his hosts so he weighed his words carefully when speaking of Scully's sister's death or watching Mulder's father die, anything that touched Walter or Mulder personally.

"They say telling the truth sets you free," Alex scoffed. "It's just opening up old wounds." He looked at Mulder's face, creased with pain, violence beneath the surface waiting to erupt.

"No, Alex. The truth is what I want to hear. No more lies, you promised."

"What about all the rotten things I've done? Do all the good things erase the bad?"

Mulder cocked his head. "No. But it helps. Are you asking us to forgive you?"

Alex didn't answer for a few moments. "Yes," he finally gasped out, his face anguished with the answer he expected.

Mulder looked at Alex for a long moment, looked at his lover, who nodded.

"I think we can. The question is can you forgive yourself?"

Alex frowned. Mulder wanted to rub away the line above his nose. His hand jerked involuntarily then stilled, hovering above the quilt.

"There's more though isn't there?"

"More? Christ, Mulder. What else do you want me to tell you?"

"Something more personal. I'm not talking about fucking Marita against the wall either. I'm talking about inside here." Mulder patted his chest. "In your heart and your mind, you did everything you did in order to survive or get ahead or fight the colonization. I can understand that no matter how much of a self-righteous bastard you might think I am." He smiled as Alex's face flushed. It seemed he'd read Alex's mind. "Innocent people got hurt and I can see now how deeply that's affected you. You don't get pleasure from hurting people. Sad to say, but you're not a psychopath."

Alex grinned wryly. Walter crossed his arms over his head, wondering where Fox was headed.

"Something happened to you along the way. Something hurt you very badly."

"You like this don't you?" Alex's voice was hurt, accusing. His face lit up with realization. The mask of studied insouciance dropped from his face for a hurtful moment then slipped back on.

"Like what?"

"You like seeing me hurt. You like me howling and scared, ripped from sleep, which I need as much as I can get. You want to hear all the dark little secrets so you can gloat over me, the dirty little immigrant boy who couldn't speak English without an accent! You want to hear secrets Mulder!" he snarled, "you got it. My father was a KGB agent. My parents immigrated to the states when I was a boy and he was recruited by the syndicate. Some job, huh? He was nothing but a glorified flunky and an assassin. The Soviets trained him well. He was valuable because he knew how to take orders and he could kill without impunity. He could speak a couple of different languages and I'm sure he knew government secrets that would have hurt the Russians. My mother hated his work but what could she do? He'd brought us to the land of opportunity.

"Kids used to make fun of me because I had an accent. They called me a rotten commie. I used to get beaten up by bullies all the time until my father taught me to fight. I went to school and studied and I worked like the devil to get rid of my accent. Those kids in Chicago were rough. Kids are vicious everywhere you go, I guess. I graduated early and went to college in New York. My mother was proud of me until I came home with a pocketful of money and a new suit. We didn't have much money after my father was killed. I told her Spender was going to take care of me. I was going to work for the government and be a big shot. She turned white as a sheet and slapped me so hard I thought my head was going to fall off."

Alex hung his head and brushed the tears away from his cheek.

"Your mother, was she part of the conspiracy? Did she work for Spender at all?"

"No. She was your average housewife. She was politically active before we moved. She had to be kept on a leash once dad worked for the syndicate though. She had to become the dutiful wife and mother. She would have been a good resistance fighter. She was strong and beautiful, so full of life," he said wistfully. "She even stopped my father a few times from some of his assignments. They fought really badly sometimes. After a while she just ignored what he did. I think it was the only way she could stay sane. I suppose I was a mama's boy," he said sheepishly. "She learned how to bake cookies like other moms and went to PTA meetings."

"You said your father was killed. What happened?" Mulder asked gently.

"You want to know what happened to my parents? Do you?" he spat out.

"You should let it all out Alex," Mulder said gently.

"My father was shot. It could have been anyone: KGB, one of his gambling buddies, hell for all I know Spender was behind it. My mother fell apart after he died. I was just a teenager. My grades fell and I even thought of dropping out but Spender said he'd take care of me. He'd see to it that I went to college and he'd give me a job if I was interested. He had all sorts of plans for me. I thought we were going to save the world. I even infiltrated the KGB. My homeland was our enemy. He used me. I used them. I used him. Whatever it took I did. The FBI was a breeze. I was already trained. It was easy for me to lie and act. Hell I could have won an Oscar. It was a fine line to walk Mulder." Alex's voice was hoarse. "He prescribed to the adage of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. In his mind the cold war never ended. For him the conspiracy would never be finished."

"What happened to your mom?" he whispered.

"She had a bad case of bronchitis. She got it almost every year. I was visiting her one weekend and I woke up in the middle of the night for a glass of water. I saw the front door was open and I figured maybe someone broke in. So I checked the place out but nothing seemed to be missing. I didn't want to call the cops for nothing. I looked outside and there was my mother, walking barefoot in the snow. She was sick as a dog and she was outside in the freezing cold. I thought maybe she was sleep walking or something. I asked her what she was doing. She was picking up handfuls of snow and crushing it in her hands, smiling like a loon. She said 'look, Sascha, almost like home.' She loved winter in Russia. She loved snow. She used to tell me that each snowflake was a tiny angel, a gift from God. You could crush them together, step on them, slide over them and they would never break apart. You could melt them but they would freeze back again. She was like a child in the snow. She got even more sick and died of pneumonia a few weeks later."

Alex's voice was a whisper. He hugged his good arm around his chest and sobbed, hot tears spilling down his face.

Mulder calmly hugged Alex, taking him into his arms and murmuring comforting words into his ears.

Alex trembled in Mulder's embrace as if he'd never been held before. Or as if he expected violence from a man who had never shown him a moment's compassion.

Fox's face flushed with shame. Alex had been hurt too, by parents with secrets, by death, by the very men who had trained him, scarred by a hard life, lonely and alone as he fought for survival, afraid to trust anyone lest he be betrayed again. Fox only held him tighter as Alex struggled weakly to escape.

Walter's face was questioning as he saw his lover gripping Krycek tightly. They'd made a truce when they brought Alex home-no violence, no harsh words and no name-calling. His frown deepened until he realized that Fox was only comforting him.

Fox held Alex in a firm hug, his long fingers stroking Alex's left arm gently. He wanted Alex to know there was nothing to be afraid of.

Finally Alex went limps in his arms and nuzzled his face into Fox's neck. The skin there was comfortingly warm, the tiny hairs blowing upwards with each breath. He closed his eyes but the tears wouldn't be stopped.

Fox felt the tickle of Alex's warm breath and the trickle of hot tears staining his skin and began to rock Alex gently as he silently cried.

Walter's warm brown eyes grew moist. He cleared his throat and scrubbed his face with his hand.

Fox smiled at his lover in understanding. His own hazel eyes turned a light shade of gray with the countless sorrows and pains they had all inflicted on each other.

Walter wrapped his arms around Fox and Alex, embracing them firmly. He leaned his head against Alex's, happy at the small relaxed sigh that came from him. He could almost read Fox's thoughts-it was time for them to heal.

* * *

Title: On the side of the angels Part 3/4  
Author: Laurel  
E-mail:   
Date: Finished December 2001  
Archive: Yes to DitB, anyone else just ask first  
Pairing: Sk/K/M (eventually)  
Summary: Someone's been sleeping in my bed  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: Specifically just Terma and Apocrypha as well as parts one and two of the story.  
Notes: That part about the spy cat is true. Song lyrics from Jane Siberry's "An angel stepped down (and slowly looked around)" from "When I was a boy."

* * *

*Someone help me someone help me  
An angel: I'm holding you*

They were all much more solicitous with each other after Alex's break down. Alex would accept a pat on the shoulder from Walter or a welcoming smile from Mulder shyly. The nightmares became an infrequent occurrence.

It seemed the more time spent with the two of them, the more Alex began to relax and accept their care. He played chess with Walter and borrowed books from him, sometimes just sat and listened to the world news which Walter would watch every night. He kept Mulder company when he watched cartoons and the weird videos he was always ordering. He even began to help around the house and insisted on cooking, shooing Mulder away when he tried to enter the kitchen.

Mulder would smile at Walter when he noticed those little signs of feistiness in their old enemy. A truce had been struck and the past seemed to be behind them.

Alex began to recover physically as well, slowly gaining weight that made his face fill out from its former gaunt appearance and filling out the ribs that poked out from his pale skin.

It wasn't long after that he began to accompany Walter and Mulder on their jogs. He pushed himself to the fine-honed strength and agility he'd relied on before he was injured. Walter admonished him more than once when he tried to lift heavy weights in the personal gym he'd set up in one room of the house. Alex just brushed off his warnings and continued to exercise, stopping only when his chest felt like it would burst.

Alex liked those early mornings, rolling out of bed and hastily washing before they set out in the early spring day. The leaves were newly green in the trees, pink buds trying to push through and bloom. The only sounds were birds chirping, the pounding of shoes on the pavement and their breathing. The runs were silent, a time to gather their thoughts individually.

If it was the weekend they would rush home to a big breakfast that Alex would cook. He and Walter worked well together in the kitchen, barely needing to talk. They worked in sync, never getting in each other's way. Alex enjoyed Walter's company more every day. He liked the silences, the dry humor of the man, his quiet strength.

With Mulder, Alex could always expect a surprise. Even his odd and convoluted conversations that irritated but also brought a smile to his face. The man's mind was a steel trap. He would expect nothing less from him.

When Alex had another terrifying nightmare, woken up by Walter's insistent but gentle voice, he wept bitterly in the man's arms. It was a jumble of images that had sent him howling and struggling against massive arms. One moment he was running, the next he was locked up in the silo, black oil running down the dank walls of his prison. Then Spender had appeared in the window, crushing a pile of snow in his hand, teasing a thirsty, starving Alex and grinning like a skeleton.

Walter promptly dragged Alex out of his bed. Mulder looked at him quizzically. He pushed Alex up the stairs ahead of them, not bothering to answer the question on Alex's face. He pushed Alex to the middle of their bed and gestured for Fox to follow. Alex frowned.

"I figure if the two of us are with you all night then you won't have any bad dreams."

Walter climbed in on his right side and settled the pillow behind his head. He switched off the light. Fox stared at his lover in the dark but Walter's eyes were already closed. He shrugged and mumbled good night to Alex. It took some time for Alex to fall asleep. He listened to the sounds of Walter's deep breathing. Mulder fidgeted for a while but Alex stayed still, relaxing only after he'd fallen asleep. He carefully rolled onto his side and curled up behind Mulder, daring to touch him with a whisper light finger.

************************************************************

Alex woke up surrounded by Walter and Mulder. Walter was still nestled behind him. One huge arm clung to his chest. Mulder was twisted like a pretzel around Alex. His hair tickled Alex's neck. His warm breath puffed against his throat. Alex smiled and stifled a giggle of delight. He listened to the sound of their deep breathing and caressed the arms and legs entwined with his. He was in heaven.

He lay perfectly still not wanting to break the spell but his bladder had other ideas. Besides he knew their slumber wouldn't last much longer. They would wake up and pull away from him, looking startled and wondering how he had gotten in their bed. Alex sighed. His pain was a small price to pay to have Walter's strong arms around him and Mulder clinging to him like a limpet. He carefully disengaged himself from their shared embrace and slid down the bed until he reached the foot of it. Walter clutched at empty air until he found his lover. Mulder snuggled into his arms. Alex quickly turned away.

He washed up and headed for the kitchen where he made coffee and a light breakfast. He glanced at the paper. The cat meowed loudly signally she was hungry. Her gray fur was smooth against her skin, hazel eyes imploring. So much like Mulder's. She slid between Alex's legs while he opened a can of food. She purred loudly and rubbed herself against his legs.

"Yeah, sure, you love me when I feed you, don't you?"

As soon as he dumped the food in her bowl, she dove in, completely ignoring him. Alex refilled her water dish and changed the kitty litter. He straightened up the living room and took out the garbage. He even swept the porch. To most ordinary people these mundane tasks were boring. They were performed grudgingly and automatically. To Alex they were a small comfort. Domesticity wasn't something he was familiar with anymore except as a vague memory of his childhood. He remembered being given more chores as he got older like taking out the garbage, running to the corner store for milk and bringing back the change, doing the heavy outside work, doing the grocery shopping. He remembered the myriad stray cats his mother had taken in. She would murmur nonsense to them in a sing song voice like they were human babies. He remembered the way her hair shone when he brushed it at night for her. The way he was left in charge when his father's work took him away from home. The way his mother kept the house neat and organized even when she cried bitterly, hiding her tears from her son.

Doing these tedious chores made him feel as safe as Walter's strong arms holding him. They were as cherished as Mulder's sardonic humor.

He was humming an old Russian folksong when Walter's deep voice interrupted.

"I remember that tune. My grandmother used to sing it."

"I didn't hear you come down."

The cat pounced on Walter's shoe, doing battle with the shoelace. He plucked the ball of fur from his foot and set her down gently on the floor, a generous smile on his face.

Alex wished for a moment that his host would smile at him like that.

Walter turned to Alex and saw a hurt, faraway look on his face. He frowned. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, fine. I'll get you breakfast. The paper's on the table."

Mulder joined them shortly, bringing a rush of energy with him.

Alex studied the two men as he sipped at his second cup of coffee. Walter liked to ease into the morning just as he unwound at the end of the day. He liked quiet accompanying his morning paper and breakfast. Mulder was a chatterbox, as he rubbed his almond eyes of sleep. Invariably he'd spent the night before surfing the net or searching his large collection of articles. He would begin a conversation as if it had been interrupted merely by a few minutes instead of an entire day.

While Walter ate a sensible breakfast of egg white omelettes and Texas toast washed down with a mug of coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice, Mulder munched on cold pizza and a flat soda, while his mind whirled with questions.

Alex smiled at these contradictions. One quiet, stoic, the other extroverted with tremendous energy. He'd always loved observing them. They were his favorite surveillance subjects.

The cat strolled into the kitchen like a proud overseer checking on her lands. She zigzagged through their legs, searching for breakfast crumbs. She gazed up at them and meowed loudly and indignantly. Alex snuck her a bacon crumb from his plate.

"Don't encourage her," Walter warned.

Alex flushed. He got up and began to clear the table. Mulder was silently eating now and checking out the sports page of the paper. He'd temporarily run out of questions for Alex.

Walter glanced up and watched Alex as he worked. He noticed for the first time how spotless the kitchen was. As his mother was fond of saying, everything in its place and a place for everything. Sometimes Alex walked behind Fox literally picking up the mess he left behind. Walter smiled, thinking of the serious, slightly exasperated look on Alex's face as Tornado Fox moved about the room, spilling shells of sunflower seeds and knocking askew a perfectly balanced stack of magazines on the coffee table. Alex would dump the shells into empty soda bottles Fox would abandon. Without complaint he would fold and iron piles of neglected laundry that Fox promised to take care of and then promptly forgot about.

The cat followed Alex around the kitchen purring and rubbing his leg in hopes of getting another nibble of food from him. Alex smiled down at her gazing into hazel eyes that matched one of her owners exactly. He wished that other set of eyes would look at him just as adoringly. He gave a small sigh piquing Walter's interest.

He watched Alex as he gracefully cleared the dishes, avoiding the cat trying to trip him up. He was serious as he went about his task, retreating into his familiar silence.

Fox looked up from the paper and watched as Walter's gaze tracked Krycek's lithe form moving around the room. He didn't see anything particularly compelling. The man was merely clearing the breakfast dishes, putting the milk and jam back in the fridge and washing the few dishes at the sink. He looked back at his lover and noticed a hint of lust in the dark brown eyes. He looked again at their guest. Faded black jeans molded a shapely ass and hugged a promising crotch. A white tee-shirt strained snugly across his chest and a faded blue plaid shirt covered his prosthesis. Fox's eyes followed the stiff arm down to a stiff hand that wasn't covered by its customary black glove.

Krycek wiped off his real hand on a tea towel. He picked up the cat and scrunched up his nose at her while softly rubbing her silky fur.

"Hello Miss Kitty, pretty kitty. Hello Kitty," he said in a sing song voice. He made kissing noises at the cat who yawned and mewed.

He turned slightly to find two sets of eyes staring at him. Walter's mouth quirked up slightly in a smile. Mulder was grinning like a maniac. Alex blushed and set the cat down. He began to hum to the oldies station that Walter kept the kitchen radio tuned to and and kept himself busy by swatting at nonexistent crumbs on the counter with the tea towel.

Walter shook his head and reached for another section of the paper. Mulder played with the cat until she grew bored and sauntered away. Left to his own devices Mulder looked at Krycek, spoiling for a verbal joust. Walter seemed to read his mind and shook his head at his lover, his frown severe. Alex sighed and folded the dish towel over the rack to dry. He noticed Mulder's grin and mumbled he was going for a walk.

As soon as he left the room Mulder burst out laughing. Walter admonished him but his smile betrayed him.

"Play nice Fox. Alex I'll go with you," he shouted after the retreating Krycek.

"Yeah, just me and my shadow," Alex said darkly.

"You're a material witness. You can't go anywhere by yourself."

"I like being by myself."

"You can be by yourself in your room," Walter growled.

He grabbed a light jacket from the coat stand. "Fox you want to come too?"

"Yeah sure."

Alex grumbled some more but soon he was walking happily in between his guardians. The embarrassing incident with the cat was forgotten. Mulder's grin didn't bother him in the least. A nonsensical conversation about a cat dubbed Acoustic Kitty being implanted with a listening device during the cold war was ignored. The CIA had designed the cat to be a spy. It was a very costly and embarrassing mistake.

Mulder knew Alex was listening at least partially because he grinned as he told them that as soon as the cat was released it was promptly run over by a car.

"Fox that's not a very nice story considering we own a cat," Walter growled.

"It just goes to show you how stupid and subversive the American government is."

"We work for the government. Remember?"

"Yeah how could I forget?"

They walked in silence the rest of the way, each left to think in the quiet morning.

They rounded the park where shouts of excitement rose up. Across the wide expanse of green lawn a baseball game was in progress. A cloud of dust was raised as the runner was chased to the next base. Everywhere people were out mowing lawns, planting flowers, sweeping the curbside and raking gravel driveways.

The more Alex relaxed and enjoyed the domestic middle class neighborhood scene, the better Mulder's mood and the more expansive the smile on Walter's face. They came home tired from the exuberant walk.

Although they had a relaxing restful day, Alex woke again shaking off a nightmare. Walter had heard him when he went downstairs for a drink of water. He quietly woke up the thrashing man and gently pulled him upstairs. Alex was reluctant to go to their bed again. How much more could they torture him?

He let Walter tuck him into the middle and he soon fell asleep again.

Walter woke first the next morning. He found Alex sprawled on top of him. His left arm was clinging to his stomach, his right arm clutched around his back. Walter had seen him without a shirt before. Had seen him plenty of times around the house without the prosthesis too. This was the first time he could look at him up close without Alex pulling away or turning his body or hiding underneath a sheet.

He stroked the arm softly, pulling up the sleeve of his tee shirt to see it. It was puckered at the end, with scars from several operations he had undergone running the gamut from faded white to an angry red. His arm tightened in response to the light caresses. Alex murmured in his sleep and pushed his face into Walter's chest. The curls of hair were disturbed by Alex's breath. Alex's leg wrapped around his and an insistent erection slid into his thigh.

Walter held still barely daring to breathe. Beside him Fox was sprawled on his back, mouth open, totally oblivious to the scene next to him.

Walter stroked Alex's dark hair sifting the spiky strands between his fingers. Alex sighed making Walter wonder if he was awake. He rubbed his cheek against Walter. The rasp of whiskers against his skin made him shiver. He wasn't sure if he wanted Fox to witness this or not, although he'd seen Fox look at Alex in *that* way. Maybe it was just wishful thinking.

The cat crept into the room and leapt on the bed stalking her masters like prey. She walked over to Fox and sniffed at him before settling her weight over his throat and coiling around the warmth she found there. Walter chuckled. It looked like his lover was wearing a fur collar.

Fox flailed at the air in his sleep and groaned. The cat purred for a moment then dashed away as Fox woke up and sat up, gasping for air.

"Damn I had a dream someone was suffocating me."

Walter laughed. "So that old story is true about cats sucking the breath out of their victims as they sleep."

Fox gave him a murderous look and glared at the cat who gave a twitch of her tail and nuzzled into a sweater lying on the floor.

Fox rubbed his neck. It took him a few moments before he noticed the visitor in their bed.

He gawked at Alex who clung to Walter.

"What the hell is he doing here?"

"He had another nightmare."

"Why don't you just buy him a night light or something," Fox grumbled.

"At least he doesn't kick me in the shins or steal the covers," Walter accused.

"Hey you want to trade bed mates be my guest," Fox retorted viciously.

Alex woke to the sound of angry voices. He slid off of Walter. He hid his face in the sheet, a blush spreading from his face downward.

Walter liked the flushed skin he saw. He interrupted their argument with an appreciative glance at Alex then looked up guiltily at Fox. Fox pouted, crossed his arms, glared at his lover and gave Alex a dirty look.

Alex peeked up from underneath the sheet. He tried to slide down the bed unobserved until Mulder grabbed him roughly. He had no leverage being on his stomach, with his good arm caught in a vise like grip.

"Mulder I gotta pee. Let go."

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Trying to get out of bed."

"You think if you bat your eyelashes and swing your pretty ass around you'll steal Walter away from me. Do you think he's stupid?"

Alex started, the blush growing redder.

"Are you insane? No never mind answering, it was a rhetorical question."

"Fox stop this and let him go. He was asleep when he climbed on top of me."

"Mulder I was sleeping. I'm sorry if you thought I was trying something."

Fox looked down into Alex's wounded eyes and immediately took his hand off his arm. Alex slid down the bed and sat with his back to them.

"I'm sorry. It's just you keep coming back into our bed and what the hell am I supposed to think?"

"You're supposed to trust me Fox," Walter said coldly. "Do you really think I'd cheat on you? Can't you trust Alex just a little bit? I think he's done his penance don't you?"

"Besides," Alex added softly, "who would make love with a cripple like me?"

Fox blanched. Alex got up quietly and left the room.

"Are you happy now? He's calling himself a cripple. Since when has he let his disability stop him from doing anything?"

"I should apologize," Fox admitted. "It's just that I saw him and he was on top of you and you were looking at him...."

"I looked at him. You look at him too Fox. Don't be a prude."

"He's easy on the eyes."

"Yeah he is and you know what? Sometimes he's better company than you."

Walter stomped off into the bathroom. In a few minutes Fox heard the water running in the shower. He didn't dare join his lover for a shared bath. His misery and guilt made themselves evident in his now gray eyes.

The cat slid through the sweater and poked out through the neck opening. She played with a dust bunny, batting it between her paws. When she was bored with that she stalked a beam of light that shone through the window. Ordinarily her antics would have delighted Fox but he felt so ashamed of his behavior that not even his beloved pet made him feel better.

He quickly washed up at the sink. Walter was silhouetted against the shower curtain. If he saw Fox he was ignoring his presence. Fox crept downstairs to find Alex at the kitchen table. His face was hidden by a magazine. The scrape of a spoon against a bowl was the only sound besides the music from the radio. Alex didn't stir. Fox knew Alex was aware of him.

He folded down a corner of the magazine. Alex's face was a mask of studied indifference. It was blank like marble, like porcelain. Fox knew the look all too well. Behind the blankness was hurt.

"I'm sorry," Fox apologized sincerely.

Alex blinked at him slowly and his mouth twitched. He opened his mouth to say something then closed it again.

"I was being a jealous jerk. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"Jealous of me?" he asked incredulously. "Walter adores you. Why would you think I could steal him away?"

"Look at you."

"Yeah, look at me. An out of work moving target with only one arm and no social skills. What a prize," he finished sarcastically.

"Look at you," Fox repeated. "You're beautiful, strong, graceful, smart. Look at all the things you've survived. Look how you've helped us. Who wouldn't want you?"

Alex was taken aback. "You're serious."

"Sure. I see you on top of my boyfriend and he's looking at you the way a cat looks at a mouse. In this case it's a rat but why argue semantics?"

Mulder grinned at him.

Alex laughed and smiled back. "You really think I'd be competition? Come on Mulder. He loves you."

"You don't think you're lovable?"

Alex shrugged. "I've never thought much about it."

"Liar."

Alex looked up sharply.

"Everyone wants to be loved. You included. Am I forgiven?"

Alex nodded and smiled, the mask melting away until all that remained was a rueful grin and sparkling eyes.

"Come help me smooth things over with Walter."

Fox grabbed a makeshift breakfast and brought it up to the bedroom dragging Alex along with him.

Walter was dressing when they entered. Fox smiled at him trying to gauge his mood. Walter's look softened a little. Alex sat on the stuffed chair and watched.

"I just wanted to apologize. I was being an ass."

"I'll say."

"I talked to Alex and we're okay. Are *we* okay?" Fox asked anxiously.

Walter glanced at Alex who nodded.

"This is not going to happen again is it? We made a truce and I want us to stick by it. Alex is going to living with us for a while yet and I don't want any more dramatic scenes like this morning."

"No more scenes. No more jealousy. I take it Alex is still welcome in here if he has nightmares?"

"If that's all right with you. It's your bed too."

"Sure, it's fine. As a matter of fact I kind of like Alex in our bed. He doesn't have cold feet and he doesn't squish me."

"Is that so?" Walter crossed his arms across his chest. He glanced at Alex. "Seems Alex is the ideal bed partner. Except for the nightmares, that is."

"I could take sleeping pills," Alex replied softly.

Walter smiled, all gruffness and anger melted away. "I don't want you relying on drugs Alex. That's not good for you. Besides in time I think they'll go away by themselves. I had nightmares about the war for years afterwards but they eventually disappeared except for the occasional appearance."

"I can't imagine you being eighteen and going off to a foreign country to fight."

"I loved being in the marines."

"Oh, I can imagine you being a marine. It's the eighteen years old part that's unfathomable."

Walter threw a pillow at Alex, which made him giggle.

* * *

Title: On the side of the angels Part 4/4  
Author: Laurel  
E-mail:   
Date: Finished December 2001  
Archive: Yes to DitB anyone else just ask first  
Pairing: Sk/K/M (finally!)  
Summary: Love heals all wounds  
Rating: NC-17 for m/m sex  
Spoilers: Just Terma and parts one through three of the story.  
Notes: song lyrics from Jane Siberry's "An angel stepped down (and slowly looked around) from "When I was a boy."

* * *

*An angel: Is no one asking for this dance?  
Were you not asking for this chance?*

They spent the day in typical Sunday laziness, reading newspapers and magazines over breakfast, taking a walk in the park, enjoying a leisurely lunch. Alex took a short nap in the afternoon while Mulder played a video game and Walter worked out in the gym.

When Alex woke he checked on his house mates. Walter was still working out. He ran a towel over his face without stopping. He gave Alex a gentle smile and went on running on the treadmill. The muscles in his calves and thighs bunched up and stretched with each footstep. His gray FBI tee shirt was damp with sweat. There was a line of dampness down his back. Alex blushed as he wondered if those droplets were meandering down his shorts and in between his ass cheeks.

Mulder was spread out on the sofa playing his video game. As he wrestled the controls with long limber fingers he talked to himself amid the beeps and other noises. Alex imagined those long fingers stroking him. He shook his head trying to get the image out of his mind. Those two only had eyes for each other and he might as well get used to it.

Alex began to prepare dinner. He grinned unconsciously at the domestic sounds around him. There was Walter and Fox arguing good naturedly about who was going to take a shower first. The cat purred and meowed as she rubbed against him seeking an early supper. The sound of footsteps on the stairs then running water as the shower started up. The distant shouts from the park of another baseball game in progress. The neighbor's boy giving his dog a bath in the backyard. From where Alex stood he could see them both as the dog splashed and gave the boy a bath in the process. The dog howled with indignation, the boy howled with laughter. The rhythm of the knife hitting the cutting board as he chopped the vegetables for a stir fry.

Alex winced as he sliced his finger open and blood began to pour onto the kitchen counter. He paled as he looked at the sharp blade in his hand. When he dropped it his hand trembled with sudden fear remembering another large knife. Recovering from his memory he staunched the minor wound with a wadded paper towel and headed to his bedroom.

He ran his finger under the cold water and searched for some first aid equipment. It was awkward trying to bandage himself and he was still bleeding so he decided to wait it out. He had the gauze rolled around his finger and held it up carefully so no blood would soil the carpet. He headed back to the kitchen to check on the stove.

Walter and Mulder entered freshly washed and anticipating Alex's cooking.

"What did you do?" Walter asked.

"I cut my finger," Alex replied sheepishly.

"Here, let me see."

"It's nothing. Just a little cut."

"Did you put a bandage on it? Do you have first aid stuff in your bathroom?"

"I had a little trouble with the bandage," Alex admitted.

"Come on upstairs," Walter ordered gently. "I'll take care of it."

Alex reluctantly agreed and turned the knobs of the stove off.

Fox followed the two of them and watched as Walter tended to their guest's injury.

Walter carefully applied antiseptic and antibiotic ointment. He wrapped a fresh bandage around it and put an extra tape on it for good measure. They all left the bathroom and stood in the master bedroom.

"There, all fixed. One thing's missing though."

There was a mischievous glint in Walter's eye. The sexual tension in the house had risen with each passing day; with each nightmare that had Alex in his arms and in their bed between him and Fox; with each moment of spontaneous fun; with every revelation that Alex had been badly hurt but was healing with their care.

Alex frowned. "You did everything already."

"My mom always used to kiss my boo-boos to make them better."

Fox gave him an incredulous look. Alex frowned again.

Walter took his hand gently and pressed a kiss on the finger. He gauged Alex's reaction. The eyes widened. The pink lips opened in a silent gasp. Walter didn't relinquish his hand. He flexed the palm open and pressed another chaste kiss in the center. Fox nervously licked his lips. His heart beat in time to a throbbing erection that was pushing against his sweat pants.

Alex flinched as Walter leaned slightly forward. He retreated and watched Alex relax then bent in again and took his mouth in a bruising kiss before pulling away. He looked at Alex then Fox. His lover was hard and his lips had become swollen the way they did when he was aroused. Fox nodded slightly aware he was giving Walter permission to continue.

Walter opened his arms and Alex stepped into his embrace with a slight hesitation. But his kiss was anything but shy. It was wild and wet and bold encouraging Walter to grasp him tighter. He felt more than heard Alex moan into the heat of his mouth. Alex's thighs opened and let Walter in.

Fox watched them with fascination and lust. He was glad that Alex had found passion in Walter's arms but he wanted to share it too.

Alex pulled back gently. His deep green eyes were dilated with lust. Walter turned him around and pushed him towards Fox.

Fox tentatively kissed Alex. Alex kissed back shyly. His eyes were open, watching for Fox to pull away. Walter watched them as they slowly made love. They were like two animals meeting and greeting each other while watching for signs of aggression or disinterest.

Fox had pushed Alex back until his knees touched the edge of the bed and he fell onto the mattress.

They were kissing more openly now with closed eyes and dueling tongues. Alex still held back with a slight stiffness. Fox also was not quite as relaxed as he should have been. Aroused yes but not totally trusting either.

Walter frowned. He joined the writhing couple on the bed and held Alex gently. He pushed Fox's body closer while caressing him softy beneath his tee-shirt. He stripped Alex of his jeans and yanked down Fox's sweats so that their bare legs rubbed against each other. Fox pulled away from Alex long enough to tear off his tee shirt. He smiled down at Alex. It was the smile Alex had longed to see, full of love and tenderness.

Walter loved the look on Alex's face. The smile lit up his serious face. He looked back at Walter and was rewarded with another countenance full of love and trust and tenderness. It was given so fully and easily it made him want to cry with joy.

Alex held his hand out to Walter to join them. Walter slowly undressed and Alex watched with rapt eyes as his hard muscular body was revealed. All the while Fox stroked him softly and kissed the nape of his neck, attacking those few inches of warm, baby soft skin earnestly. Alex sighed and arched his neck, loving the feel of Fox's arms around him.

Walter approached the bed fully naked. Alex gulped uneasily as he took in the size of his erection. Fox slipped off his shorts. As he knelt down he licked Alex's legs teasingly until he reached his muscular thighs. He lapped the beads of sweat gathering at his groin.

Alex moaned and leaned back in Walter's embrace. Walter lazily stroked his skin. His hands slid under the long sleeved tee shirt and touched hot velvety skin. There was only the lightest fuzz above his navel. The firm chest was smooth, unencumbered by hair. He gently tweaked his stiff nipples. Alex arched into his touch. Walter wet the tips of his fingers with his tongue and ran them over the nubs of flesh. He pinched them gently until Alex moaned.

Fox had taken his cock hungrily into his mouth and was lavishing it with attention. He held his thighs firmly, his hands scooping up his hips. Alex's feet rubbed up and down his back, pulling Fox closer. Fox took off his silk boxers and freed his erection. It slapped against his stomach and he touched himself gently as he continued to suck Alex.

Walter's own strong legs were wrapped around Alex's hips holding him in place. His hard shaft poked at Alex's back.

Alex pulled at his hand as the shirt began to slide up further. "No, don't," he pleaded.

Walter stopped immediately. "Alex it's okay. We don't care what your arm looks like baby."

Alex sighed at the endearment. "Are you sure?"

"Of course. You're beautiful. It doesn't matter if you have scars or only one arm. I have scars too. Do they turn you off?"

Alex shook his head, remembering only endless hard flesh. Long columns of legs and arms to hold him and twist with his willing body. A length of cock that would have sent a virgin screaming. The curls of hair that covered the massive chest he wanted to bury his face in. The scars didn't matter, only registered as a place to touch him gently.

"There you see, nothing to be scared about. We love you the way you are."

"You love me?' Alex asked in a hushed whisper.

"Yes. We love you."

Fox relinquished his cock and sat beside him.

"We love you," he repeated.

"Oh, Mulder. I love both of you so much too," he said in a voice filled with wonder.

"Fox."

"Mmmh?"

"If we're going to make love you should call me by my first name."

Tears shimmered in Alex's eyes and slid into the corners of his eyes. Fox kissed them dry, licking away the drops of salty moisture. He kissed Alex hard pouring all the love he felt into it. Alex's eyes were heavy lidded with desire when he pulled away. Fox gave him a wolf grin like he was a gourmet dinner. While he was distracted by Fox's disarming smile, Walter pulled the tee shirt off. Fox leaned in and nuzzled him kissing the long scar on his chest gently and lovingly. He kept kissing until he reached his throat. He licked and nibbled the tender flesh eliciting giggles and sighs and moans.

Alex nearly escaped Walter's arms with his squirming. Walter held him tighter and joined Fox in his oral attack until Alex groaned and mewled, helpless to stop them. His eyes closed in pleasure, his skin was rough with goose bumps from the attention they were lavishing on his neck.

With Fox's help Walter undid the arm and slipped it off. Not once did they stop touching, caressing and kissing him. Fox quickly placed it on the chair at the desk.

Walter continued to kiss him, making up for Fox's absence. Alex pulled away and turned his head for a deep kiss. His hand curled around Walter's neck while his mouth was plundered.

Fox joined them again, getting out lube and condoms from the bedside table. He quickly took up his position and started making love to Alex from where he'd left off.

"Fox," Alex whispered.

"Yeah?" Mulder mumbled around Alex's ear.

"Nothing. Just like saying your name," he explained.

Mulder smiled against his face.

"I'm hungry for an Alex sandwich," Walter growled.

Alex giggled and blushed but nodded in agreement.

Walter positioned Alex on his side and lay behind him. He opened his legs gently and prepared him with a generous amount of lube. Fox lay in front of him in a sixty-nine position. He could easily suck on Alex and watch as Walter fucked him. Walter had two thick fingers inside his hot ass and he was even further relaxed by Fox's full attention on his leaking cock. Fox was doing something incredibly delicious with his tongue.

As if waking from a daze he grasped Fox's thick shaft with his hand and began to lick it from root to head. Fox squirmed closer and wrapped his leg carefully around Alex's head. Alex licked the hard shaft until it was thoroughly wet then took the plump head into his mouth and sucked down all the way. On his way back up he nibbled and stroked Fox firmly. Fox's hips jerked in reaction.

Walter added more lube to Alex's ass as well as his own condom covered cock. Slowly but surely he slid inside Alex's tight opening. He held Alex's hips firmly and rocked back and forth until he was fully inside him.

He had a wonderful view of Alex's lush mouth wrapped around Fox's throbbing cock. When he looked down at Alex's groin he got another eyeful of Fox eagerly lapping at Alex's cock. It was enough to make him come even without the tightness and heat of Alex's ass.

He lavished wet kisses on Alex's neck. Alex squirmed and moaned. Walter could swear just a tiny lick across a certain spot on his neck made him wild with desire. It made him even more eager to suck on Fox and his hips rocked back against Walter's groin even harder with each little nibble or swipe of the tongue. A nip on his ear lobe had him trembling. A kiss behind his ear made him squirm. Walter was relentless in his aural attack.

The more Walter licked at his neck, the more vocal Alex became. Even with his mouth full of Fox's generous cock they could hear him. He tore his mouth away and screamed as he came with Walter deep inside him. At that moment Fox climaxed, sending a spray of semen against his throat. Alex took him back into his mouth eager to taste him. Walter couldn't help but come too with Alex's strong muscles milking him dry.

Walter held him tightly as all three of them relaxed and tried to catch their breaths. Fox gave Alex's softening cock a kiss and sat up. He slid into Alex's one-armed embrace. He kissed his mouth and tasted himself on his lips.

Walter slid out of him gently and disposed of the condom. He ran a damp towel over his drowsing lovers and cleaned himself too. He climbed in behind Alex and reached across him to hug Fox as well. Fox reached his arm across to touch Walter's shoulder and soon all three fell asleep, Alex safe and snug in the middle.

  
Archived: December 30, 2001 


End file.
